In most of the countries you will find diplomatic missions, which usually refers to an embassy and/or a consulate. Diplomatic bodies represent other country interests in Bhutan, with the aim of strengthening international relations between the states and providing services for their citizens in Bhutan.

Embassies and consulates are considered legal territories of their home countries. They are not "foreign territory" but they are protected and considered the property of the country using them, meaning that Bhutan does not have jurisdiction over the embassy or consulate of another country.

What is the difference between Embassy and Consulate

The Vienna Convention on Consular Relations international treaty defines the diplomatic mission’s purpose and framework. The various diplomatic missions offer several services and carry out different missions. For example:

• Embassy: This is the primary diplomatic representation of a country’s government and is headed by an ambassador. An embassy is the main location for a diplomatic presence of one country in another. A country has at most one embassy in another country, and is always established in the capital city of the host country. In the absence of a consulate in a country, the embassy has also a consular section to carry out all the relevant consular services (see below).
• Consulate General: This is a diplomatic mission, headed by a consul that provides a full range of services such as: issuing passports/visas, keeping birth and marriage records, assisting expats, providing legal information, translations etc. It can be located in any major city of the host country, although often in the capital city (in certain cases, in the same building as the embassy). In major countries and large territories, you often have more than one consulate.
• Honorary Consulate: It supplements the Consulate to provide a limited range of consular services and is headed by an honorary consul. They help nationals abroad. For example, in the event of a hospital stay, missing person, death, natural disaster or other emergency. They can also issue emergency travel documents and consular declarations for which the applicant is required to appear in person.

NB: You will usually apply for a visa at the Consulate of the country you want to visit. However, if there is no such representation in Bhutan, you can apply for a visa at the embassy.

Where to find Consulates and Embassies in Bhutan

Not all countries have an Embassy and/or a Consulate as it depends of the political situation, the relationship with the host country, the size of the country, and the number of foreign citizens living there.

In some cases, countries can share representations and you can be assisted by the services of another embassy or consular service to get the information you need.

We recommend you register/contact your country’s embassy at your destination. It is a free service provided by any diplomatic mission and it will allow them to record information about your upcoming trip abroad. It can be used to assist you in case of an emergency.

Registration will also allow you to get routine information from your nearest embassy or consulate, as citizen residing abroad.

The Bhutan capital, Thimphu hosts 2 embassies.

There are also 6 consulates in Bhutan.

All consulates and honorary consulates are located in Thimphu.

You will find below a list of selected countries (the list is not exhaustive) that have a diplomatic mission in Bhutan. The list includes embassies, consulates, honorary consulates and sometimes other official representations for you to be able to get information and services.

Embassies and Main Consulates in Thimphu

Bangladesh

Embassy of Bangladesh in Bhutan
Address: HIG-3, Upper Chubachu, Thimphu
Tel: (+975) 2 332 771
E-Mail: mission.thimphu@mofa.gov.bd
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/bdoot.thimphu/  

The consular section provides a range of consular services such as document authentication and legalization processing, as well as notary certification and marriage registration, passport and visa affairs, power of attorney, travel permits and consular protection to all Bangladesh citizens living abroad.

India

Indian Embassy in Bhutan
Address: Box:193, Jungshina, Thimphu
Tel: (+975) 2 322 162 (161 for the consular service)
E-Mail: cons.thimphu@mea.gov.in and hoc.thimphu@mea.gov.in
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/IndiainBhutan/ and https://twitter.com/Indiainbhutan
Opening hours: For consular services, the embassy is open from 9:00am to 11:00am from Monday to Friday except on declared holidays.

The Indian Embassy in Bhutan provides reception of the public (consular affairs), register of Indian nationals established outside India, visa and passport services, legalization of signature, driver's license..., elections, national service and assembly of Indian nationals abroad,, etc.

Honorary Consulates in Bhutan

Contact directly the Embassy/Consulate website for more information.

For countries with no consulates or embassies in Bhutan, the Honorary Consulates are supervised by diplomatic representations located in other country, often New Delhi, in India for Bhutan.

Honorary Consulates in Thimphu

• Austria Representative Office
• Denmark – It works as a Visa Application Centre
• Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) (jpembjic@nd.mofa.go.jp – Email for the Embassy of Japan in India, where everything is forwarded to).
• Netherlands (info@nlconsulate.bt)
• Sri Lanka
• Thailand